IN APRIL’S ISSUE How to Engage in Virtual Open Houses Frank Does Florida Southern Wright The Art of Art Placement
COMMUNITY PROPERTY
FEATURE LIVING LARGE
IN YOUR CORNER
IN YOUR CORNER
APRIL 2021
WATER WISE
COMMUNITY PROPERTY FRANK DOES FLORIDA SOUTHERN WRIGHT
FEATURE STORY HOW TO ENGAGE IN VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSES
LIVING LARGE THE ART OF ART PLACEMENT
MARKET UPDATE CURIOUS IF PRICES ARE UP? WHAT’S THE MARKET DOING? WE’VE GOT ANSWERS!
The cover image was photographed by BEN ASHBY.
Water conservation has been talked about for decades. This article by Athena Snow, originally posted on the Coldwell Banker Blog Blue Matter, brings up a few small and big ways people can change their water ways. See if any work for you.
On any given day, one might find several front-page news articles covering the topic of water – whether it’s the political debate taking place in Detroit, Arizona officials introducing beetles to kill a particular tree that consumes a lot of water or the drought in California. The lack of water is alarming and, lately, has me feeling guilty every time I run the dishwasher or washing machine. I want to be a good steward to our planet, especially in ways I can control in and around my home. So how can I (and you) lessen our water footprint, so future generations don’t have to face an even worse situation? Here are some things I’m going to start incorporating into my daily routine to reduce my home’s excess use of water.
Checking leaks: I plan to watch my
water meter this week after work (and before daily tasks like dinner preparation or a load of laundry) for an hour. If during that hour I notice the meter changing while no water consumption is taking place, then I know I need to contact a plumber to identify a leak.
Piping insulation: Speaking of calling
WISE The following is a guest post by ATHENA SNOW originally published on Blue Matter, Coldwell Banker’s Blog.
the plumber, it’s been on my to-do list since we moved into our new home. It takes the hot water forever to flow in our bathroom, which leads me to believe our pipes need some insulating. All that water going down the drain each morning while we wait and wait and wait for the water to be reasonably warm is wasteful.
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Washing the fruit or veggies: I ’m guilty of letting the water run while I wash our fruits and vegetables
in the kitchen sink. I’m vowing now to end this nasty habit and will partially fill the sink with some water and white vinegar to further help reduce our home’s water consumption. D
Running a bath: Another confessional item here, I don’t plug the bathtub until the water temperature is to my liking. Yes, shame on me. From now on, I’m making sure to stop up the bathtub right away and adjust the hot/cold as the bath fills.
Ideas for the shower: There are several ways to reduce this activity’s water
consumption. One, set your phone timer for five minutes, so you know for each minute over, you’re wasting anywhere between 7 to 10 gallons of water per minute. If you’ve gone over the five-minute mark and still haven’t washed your hair or lathered up, turn off the water and resume for rinsing.
Reusing pet’s water: Although I do use our cat’s discarded water to feed outside
potted plants, I never thought to also use Salvador’s (our fish) tank water as a means to water my outdoor or indoor plants. This, too, is going on my list.
Things your mom always told you: For some reason, these types
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of things sunk in for me but not so much for my husband (don’t be mad, honey, for spilling the beans here). I’m going to leave some colorful post-it notes next to the sinks that say, “turn the water off while you brush your teeth or wash your hands.” And maybe adding an amendment to the note saying “fill the sink up when shaving or doing dishes.” Oh, and of course, an “I love you” or “you’re the best” at the bottom to be sure I don’t end up in the dog house.
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Photography provided by the following in order of appearance. Jacek Dylag (A), Goby (B), Daniel Tuttle (C), Talal Ahmad (D), and Bibi Pace (E).
FRANK DOES
wright Clean lines, abundant windows, geometric designs, and concrete embody the mid-century modern movement. Tastes change, and modern movements often provoke love it or hate it reactions from people. The Florida Southern College president and his architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, loved it both aesthetically and metaphorically. Whether you feel the same way or not, let’s explore these modern marvels that grace the Florida Southern’s campus landscape.
Florida Southern College houses the largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings, not just in Florida but in any single site in the world. The collection inludes eighteen structures and twelve were constructed between 1939 and 1958. Others came later including the Usonian House which was constructed 74 years after Wright designed it. In the late 1930s, the college president, Dr. Ludd Spivey, wanted to build a campus of tomorrow that would take the small college into the ranks of national institutions of consequence. When building a campus of tomorrow, there would be no better architect than Frank Lloyd Wright. Obviously, Spivey agreed. Wright is always considered an architect who was ahead of his time. Even Wright thought so saying, “The architect must be a prophet… a prophet in the true sense of the term… if he can’t see at least ten years ahead, don’t call him an architect.” This was Wright’s opportunity to execute his grand vision on a scale that he was never previously afforted. In his “organic architecture,” he insisted on seeing the natural landscape before designing anything, so he visited campus in 1938. The buildings are quintessential examples of Wright’s Textile style, which he began evolving in the early 1920s. Although details changed for each project, the concept stayed the same, richly patterned concrete blocks, reinforced with steel, formed the walls. The Mayan-inspired patterns bring arts and craft craftsmanship to the mid-century modern concrete buildings.
Wright designed the campus using his Arts & Crafts approach, meaning no detail went unnoticed and undesigned. Although some features have been updated over the years, Wright designed everything from windows, and concrete block texture down to the decorative columns that line the breezeways and, of course, the furniture too. The Annie Pfeiffer Chapel, which was the largest and first of its kind built in the modern design between 1939 and 1941, is at the heart of campus and an iconic design. It sits next to the William H. Danforth Chapel (1955), referred to as the “miniature chapel” by Wright because it is next to the enormous Annie Pfiffer Chapel and it only sat 100 people. Wright plays with light the way many architects naturally do when creating a place of worship. The non-denominational Pfeiffer Chapel houses a floating staircase coupled with a mosaic of colored glass along the wall. While the Danforth Chapel features an entire corner behind the pulpit built of wrought iron and glass that exemplifies elegant modernity. The Thad Buckner Building, which was originally the E.T. Roux Library, is another wonderous site. The building is a rotunda which was a very mid-century modern shape. However, Wright made it his own with it’s beautiful dynamic interior. It’s design literally echoes the exterior’s round shape within top to bottom with rounded tables and light fixtures. Although each building is noteworthy, and the campus is a must-visit when tours resume (take a virtual tour if you can’t wait), the workers who constructed the buildings must also be mentioned. The buildings were constructed by students who received tuition in exchange for their labor. You have to admit the students constructing the buildings they would be educated in is poetic. Additionally, many of the buildings were built during World War II, which meant the bulk of construction was not built by men who were away at war but rather largely by women.
Photography provided by the Florida Southern College.
How to Engage in
OPEN HOUSES The following is a guest post by MATHEW LIPANIMAR originally published on Blue Matter, Coldwell Banker’s Blog.
The real estate industry is always transforming with the development of new technology. Real estate agents have adopted an array of tools that help them provide increasingly sophisticated services to their customers. Virtual tours and virtual open houses on social media are quickly becoming a popular option for buyers in place of the traditional open house – and offer an incredible opportunity that benefits the consumer.
Expand Your Opportunity to View More Homes Virtual open houses let buyers reach more properties, in more places, by way of various platforms that show tours live via websites, YouTube, FaceTime – and Facebook and Instagram Live. It also allows agents to reach potential buyers while saving consumers the time they would normally spend repeating in-person tours.
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Helpful Tips on Exploring the Virtual Real Estate World Get Familiarized with Different Platforms With the rapidly changing pace of technology, it may seem daunting for a buyer to know which platform may suit them best in their home-buying journey, whether it’s Facebook Live, YouTube, Skype, or other platforms. Many of these platforms have How -To Guides on their websites to help a consumer navigate their way around an agent’s version of a virtual tour.
Ask a Coldwell Banker Agent for a Virtual Property Tour Life situations can hamper the time needed to travel to a traditional, in-person open house. Many agents utilize some form of a virtual open house to meet the ever-evolving needs of their customers, so ask your local Coldwell Banker agent for a virtual tour.
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“We need to embrace any and all means to help buyers and sellers feel confident and secure right now. I have clients that have been renting and need to be out of their current home by the end of April. The family, who have three children, are concerned they won’t be able to find a home quickly enough. We looked at several homes online together recently, and I’ve set-up showings for them via FaceTime as I tour through the home,” said Jane McAuley, affiliated sales associate with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Atlanta.
Aside from convenience, virtual property tours, including drone footage or still shots in a YouTube video, can also assist with viewing properties with pools, ponds, and lakes, as well as grand acreage. “To enter a gated community of only 22 houses via flyover, filming gives a perspective of the topography of the land, draped in beautiful oaks and palms, leading to a grand finale of a deep-water dock that offers exquisite sunset views of dolphins, birds, and other wildlife that you may not see just walking over the terrain one step at a time,” said Sibita Proctor, an affiliated real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Residential “Many agents utilize Brokerage in the Carolinas who has utilized some form of a YouTube for large property tours.
virtual open house
Be Ready!
to meet the ever-evolving needs of their customers, so ask your local
“Consumers should be ready at their computer at a specific time if they have questions for their agent while the virtual tour for a virtual is going on, along with marking the day and time on your computer’s calendar, so you don’t miss it,” said Amy McGee, an affiliated real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Realty in Texas. “Another great way to be synced-in with your agent is to ask what social media platforms they use and follow them on their social media feeds, such as Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram for updated information on upcoming virtual open houses.”
Coldwell Banker Agent
And…Virtual Open Houses Benefit Sellers Too! If you’re selling your home, it offers a more comfortable way to display, market, and sell your home without having to vacate for potential buyers every time there’s a viewing appointment. In turn, it provides you with a sense of privacy and safety.
Photography provided by the following in order of appearance. Tirza Van Diijk (A), Christian Wiediger (B), Nordwood Themes (C), Solen Feyissa (D), Chris Montgome (E), Jimmy Dean (F), Alexander Dummer (G), and Kraken Images (H).
tour.”
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Coldwell Banker Vangard Agents
utilize INNOVATIVE technology & a MARKETING TEAM to benefit
BUYERS & SELLERS too!
People are driven by technology, and finding things quickly and efficiently is imperative. As more home buyers initially turn to the internet, they aren’t just looking for snapshots of their future home; they want the full effect. Buyers want to feel as if they are actually walking through the home alongside a sales professional, even if it is only virtual. With Coldwell Banker Vanguard, our virtual tours and honed HDR photo galleries do just that.
Coldwell Banker Vanguard Virtual Tours are shared Across Platforms Virtual Tours are posted to Coldwell Banker Vanguard’s YouTube channel, The Vanguard Edge, the Coldwell Banker’s local site, Realtor.com, Zillow, and distributed through our STELLAR network to REALTORS throughout the country. This gives our sellers the best exposure, and those virtual buyers the opportunity to take a virtual tour on their prefered platform.
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The following is a guest post written by TRACY ELLISON posted by GUSTAVO GONZALEZ originally published on Blue Matter, Coldwell Banker’s Blog. Edited by Chelsea Cornelius.
Ever wonder what magic tricks interior designers have up their sleeves? There’s no secret. It’s just an understanding of what’s aesthetically pleasing to the eye and why. And like so many things in life that work well, it’s all about balance. Considering where you place objets d’art – your favorite things – is key to pulling off a professional-looking interior design.
When hanging artwork, first look at the big picture. Make sure the
scale of the piece doesn’t over or underwhelm the wall where it will live. Ask yourself if the content and color of the art complement the room as a whole. Typically, artwork should hang at eye level. But don’t discount the occasional element of surprise by positioning an eye-catching picture above a doorframe or running an elongated series of images over a desk, serving as an exaggerated architectural element.
When creating a collage of artwork, find a common denominator that runs
through the collection, such as similar framing, matting, or subject matter. A connecting thread may be the collective uniqueness of the featured items – some of the most dramatic statements are made this way. A smart plan is to lay out your vision for the wall on the floor first or have a friend hold up your artwork before nailing away. Then stand back and see what you think. If it feels right, it probably is – if not, the composition may need small tweaks here and there. Take your time to get it right. After all, this is the part of the room that expresses your personality and adds the wow factor.
Think twice about the amount of color.
This is an approach for you if you don’t like a lot of color or you prefer a more calming environment. Stick to one main hue in the room and a complementing accent color or two – anything more can overly complicate the overall design. Another simple yet ultra-sophisticated approach is to introduce one single color in varying shades for quiet impact.
Be Bold.
Enjoying art in your home is at the end of the day about what makes you happy. As long as it fits your overall design aesthetic, feel free to hang the art that moves you. Don’t be afraid to mix your fine art, either! Cross-collecting has been an art collecting trend for years. Hang your Warhol next to your Joseph Jeffers Dodge if that allows you to enjoy the works. It may even spark conversation with your guests to have interesting juxtapositions within your home.
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However you decide to leave your signature stamp on your interior design, remember that properly placed artwork and an oh-so-right aesthetic is well worth your while – and one that may even turn out to be sheer bliss. Photography provided by the following in order of appearance. Kam Idris (A), Sidekix Media (B), Ashley Byrd (C), Collov Home Design (D), Alan Navarro (E), Trend (F), and Collov Home Design (G).
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MARKET UPDATE JANUARY 2021
MARKET BREAKDOWN What does this mean for BUYERS?
If you are looking to buy be prepared for some serious competition. Your agent needs to be a fierce negotiator and consider being a bit more flexible than you might be in a buyer’s market or even a normal market.
What does this mean for SELLERS?
We are currently in a Seller’s Market. The low inventory means sellers have more control over pricing. If you’ve been considering selling this might be the time to contact your agent.
Want the latest market data when its available? Ask your agent if they are a part of the MLS MARKET UPDATE program.
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